Pictured is a view of Montpelier from Cliff Street just below Hubbard Park. Photo by Carla Occaso.
Hundreds of properties in Montpelier have already been inspected as part of the city’s reappraisal process, according to assessor Steve Twombly. The company conducting the reappraisal — New England Municipal Consultants (NEMC) — started inspecting properties near the Wrightsville Dam and is working its way down the North Branch toward downtown, Twombly said. It has also inspected properties at the top of Terrace Street and is working down that street as well.
All NEMC representatives carry identification and a letter of introduction, according to the city website. “On their first visit they will measure the exterior of your property and take photographs,” the assessor’s page states. “If you are not available at that time, they will leave a notice of the visit with instructions for scheduling an appointment for the interior inspection . . . Owners who rent their property are requested to notify the renter(s)/tenant(s) of the inspection procedure and grant the renter/tenant authority to allow NEMC to inspect the interior of the property.”
New England Municipal Consultants expects to finish inspecting all 3,000 properties in the city by the spring of 2023, after which a grievance process will be conducted for those who disagree with their assessments. The reappraisal is designed to establish each property’s fair market value as of April 1, 2023. Tax bills sent out in July 2023 will be based on those values, according to Twombly, who expects to retire soon but will remain as a city consultant through the reappraisal.
